Clam-rake.



M. P. SIMAS.

CLAM RAKE.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 22. 1913.

Patented June 1, 1915.

. fitter/wa 1) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL P. SIMAS, F BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO "ISECOHCELLOS, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLAN-RAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Application filed-November 22, 1913. Serial No. 802,491.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatl, MICHAEL P. SIMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have 'invented'new and useful Improvements in Clam-Rakes, of

which the following is a specification.

- so form the The invention has for its particular object to increase the etliciency of clam dredging appliances, and is also applicable in gathering other crustaceans; It is especially valuable, it has been found, in hand rakes, minimizing the tendency of a part of the shells gathered to drop from the rak'e, increasing the catch over tl irty per cent, for a given number of operations, as compared to the same operations with theplainrake now generally used and at the same time being very easy to operate. It is an object to tines of the rake that, while being easy to manufacture and adapted to op- Fig'. 3 is a detail of one of the tines. is a front view of the rake.

era'te with as great facility as the old'form of device, it functions so that shells engaged within the rake will not drop out easily, but

on the contrary, will be held in such a way. v that they will be checked against casual discharge. A further object is 'to provide a novel retainer at the sides of the rake.

Additional objects and advantages-will be apparent from the construction and arrangement of parts set 'forth and shown in the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is aside view of a rake constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2- is a view showing the device in use. Fig. 4

There is illustrated a rake comprising the metal cross bar 10, having a suitable shank 11' projected upwardly therefrom upon which the customary'handle 12 is mounted and uponwhich there are secured the tines 13. The-tines eachconsist of a horizontal at 15, the

topportion 14 extending rearwardly from thebar 10, thence being curved downward and gradually curvature being slightly increased at the lower part of the bight. and the tine outwardly thereof curved upwardly abruptly, as at 16, this portion being spaced but a short distance inwardly of the point of the tine, the intermediate end portion of the tine being abruptly carved forwardly and tapered to a point, this, forwardly extending end being'rectilinear and approx forward forming a'bight, as

mately parallel with the top portion 14. The points 17 of the tines are spaced directly beneath the bar 10, in a plane with the handle. On each end of the bar 10 there is secured a resilient sheet metal guard 18 having a form corresponding to the space within one of the tines, being provided with I an enlarged portion 18', and a reduced forwardly extending stem 19, the outer end of which is twisted a quarter of a turn,-then bent upwardly and secured upon the bar 10.

The rear part of this guard consequently is disposed parallel tothe adjacent outer tine.

In practice, these rakes are made about eighteen inches 'Wld, and the tines measure about eight inches from front to rear, the

horizontal top portion 14 being about six inches-long. The depth of the tines from top to bottom is about six and ,a half inches, wliile the length of the horizontal point portion is in the neighborhood of two inches. These proportions are not ar bitrary, and may be varied without detriment. The tines may be secured to the cross bar in any customary manner, and as one method the tines are shown formed of steel wire, inpairs, each pair being formed integrally from one piece of wire. The wire is bent sharply at right angles at points equally spaced 'from its middle, forming a securing loop 20 intended to'e'n'gage up wardly over the front face ofthe bar 10, the points of bending corresponding to the spacing of the tines. A short distance from the points of first bending, the wire at eachside is again bentto form the top portions 14 extending parallel to each other and at right angles to the loop 20. The formation of the outer end portions of the wire will be understood'from the first part of the description. The tines are secured to the bar 10 by means of screws or rivets 21, engaged in suitable openings in the bar 10, these termed a well portion in the rake in which the clams will be securely held and prevented from dropping out as readily as is found to be the case with the ordinary rake.

The rake is especially desirable for use in gathering quahogs which are found from Cape Cod southward in sandy situations mostly, and quite near the surface; but is also peculiarly'efiicient in gathering the long shelled clam found farther to the north, and which tends to go deeper.

The principle of the construction shown may be applied in various other embodiments, and I do not regard my invention as limited to the specific device illustrated.

What is claimed: v 1. An oyster and clam rake comprising a cross piece, amultiplicity of tines carried thereby, each extending rearwardly therefrom a distance and being then curved down forwardly and upwardly, and their outer end portions extended forwardly spaced below the cross piece.

2. A rake for clams and the like comprising a handle, a cross bar at the lower end thereof, a plurality of alined parallel tines carried by the cross bar each extending rearwardly, thence downwardly, forwardly and upwardly, their outer ends being then extended forwardly a distance, spaced below the bar.

3. A rake for clams and the like comprising an operating means, a cross bar movable thereby, a plurality of parallel tines carried by the bar extending rearwardly therefrom and recurved forwardly, plates at each end ofthe rake corresponding. in form to the space within the tines, their forward portions being secured to the-bar, and

their rear parts being spaced outwardly of and parallel to'the outer tines at each end.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v I MICHAEL P. SIMAS. Witnesses:

EDWIN A. Doucnass, ANTONE F. LEWIS. 

